How would you hit the ground running?

The goal of next year is the playoffs. With drastic changes supposedly on the way to accomplish this and the overall talent of the roster due for an upgrade, there appears to be 2 ways to go about it:

#1
Wait until after July 1st and use free agency and the draft (1 first round pick and 2 second round picks) as the primary means adding talent. In free agency the Raptors would have about $10M in cap space unless they amnesty someone (Jose? Linas? Amir? AB?). The Raptors would have to renounce their TPE from Barbosa trade and they would have to renounce their rights to Bayless to get their full cap space.

#2
Use their $10.3M of cap space prior to July 1st too add talent and salary via trade. Then use their Barbosa TPE in the same or another trade. Use their draft picks. Use their exceptions in free agency: mid-level ($5M) and bi-annual ($1.8M). Use Bird Rights to extend Bayless or use him in a sign and trade.

I don't think you can count on free agency, perception around the league is that we are not a championship challenging team so no big name guys are going to line up for a spot on our roster. I am also against overpaying for mid-level talent. Use some of the assets we have and work a trade for a good player on a decent contract. That's not to say that if there is a top level free agent that wants to sign with us I would be against it, I would just not count on it. Get who you can as soon as you can. I voted #2

The cap space won't be there after July 1. Use it or lose it. The Raps need to find some team that has a glaring hole they can fill with someone on their roster????? Or be the team that can eat a bad one year contract.

#1
$10M to add talent via free agency or trade.
any trades must be made within rules of CBA (125% + 100K) or (150% or a max of +/- $5M).

#2
up to $10.3M can be added via trade prior to July 1st before any money is sent out.
up to $7.6M can be added via trade after July 1st (TPE) without any worries of CBA.
$6.8M can be added via free agency ($5M MLE + $1.8M Bi-Annual)

#2 gives you about $25M in flexibility/options..
#1 gives you about $10M in flexibility/options.

"We only have one rule on this team. What is that rule? E.L.E. That's right's, E.L.E, and what does E.L.E. stand for? EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY. Right there up on the wall, because this isn't just a basketball team, this is a lifestyle. ~ Jackie Moon

There is more flexibility but going option 2 all but excludes bigger name free agents like Batum, Nash, Mayo, Ilyasova, Dragic unless they do a sign and trade.

I like option 2 because, except when it comes to free agency and the exceptions, the Raptors are masters of their own destiny. If they wait for free agency, what happens if a team matches the offer to a restricted free agent? What happens if the player targeted doesn't want to come here? What happens if another team makes a larger offer than Toronto can give?

YEah....these options are a little to either/or to me.....I do believe if he's going to make a 'big' splash, BC needs to make whatever acquisition that is before the start of FA. BUT, FA will be key, and I think having money to sign someone will be huge, even if that is a mid-level type guy(not necessarily that salary number, but you know, not a minimum and not a star)...
I see one major FA target as being someone BC should be relentless in going after : Ray Allen. We need a vet at wing more than anywhere else, and Ray's a solid, intelligent, do-it-all type SG, and most importantly he's still effective. We need shooters, and he's about as good as it gets. He should not command too much money at this stage, and i don't know if he's for sure going to a "contender". He has a ring. I don't know, and doubt, that Boston will try to keep this team together. I expect Ainge to take the next step in blowing it up. I also think if he sees himself in the league for 2-3 more years, then he might be more open to alternatives like playing for a young team on the rise.

YEah....these options are a little to either/or to me.....I do believe if he's going to make a 'big' splash, BC needs to make whatever acquisition that is before the start of FA. BUT, FA will be key, and I think having money to sign someone will be huge, even if that is a mid-level type guy(not necessarily that salary number, but you know, not a minimum and not a star)...
I see one major FA target as being someone BC should be relentless in going after : Ray Allen. We need a vet at wing more than anywhere else, and Ray's a solid, intelligent, do-it-all type SG, and most importantly he's still effective. We need shooters, and he's about as good as it gets. He should not command too much money at this stage, and i don't know if he's for sure going to a "contender". He has a ring. I don't know, and doubt, that Boston will try to keep this team together. I expect Ainge to take the next step in blowing it up. I also think if he sees himself in the league for 2-3 more years, then he might be more open to alternatives like playing for a young team on the rise.

If the Raptors make a big splash via trade before free agency, then to make a big splash in free agency they will have to send out the same amount of money as coming in with any trade.

If the Raptors want to make use of the TPE, then they can't use it if they splash in free agency.

I think it is kind of either unless they are sending out assets (Calderon, DD, Amir, ED, JJ, Forbes)..... or unless there is something else I'm not seeing.

To put numbers on it, if we take strategy #2, and we assume Ray's available when FA starts, I'd throw my full midlevel at him for sure. If we take strategy #1, i'd offer him just a bit more than that, like 6-7 mill per year for 2 years. I know that eats a lot of our space, but really, the options in FA are not too appealing, and I'd rather make one solid acquisition(possibly leaving some room this year to add to the space we'll have next summer) then take a huge gamble at this stage.

If the Raptors make a big splash via trade before free agency, then to make a big splash in free agency they will have to send out the same amount of money as coming in with any trade.

If the Raptors want to make use of the TPE, then they can't use it if they splash in free agency.

I think it is kind of either unless they are sending out assets (Calderon, DD, Amir, ED, JJ, Forbes)..... or unless there is something else I'm not seeing.

"big" is about the player, not about the money. And Ray Allen is a big splash for the type of move, or am I wrong? Regardless of strategy we should have enough money to throw at him when FA starts. If we make a trade, we should have our exceptions to spend(unless BC makes shitty trades that don't fully eat our cap space before July 1), and if we don't, we'll have cash stright out...I don't know what you're not seeing....or that I'm not seeing to make it seem confusing

"big" is about the player, not about the money. And Ray Allen is a big splash for the type of move, or am I wrong? Regardless of strategy we should have enough money to throw at him when FA starts. If we make a trade, we should have our exceptions to spend(unless BC makes shitty trades that don't fully eat our cap space before July 1), and if we don't, we'll have cash stright out...I don't know what you're not seeing....or that I'm not seeing to make it seem confusing

I agree with that bold section. Unfortunately a big player on a cheap deal is usually on a rookie deal. A player on a rookie deal that would be considered 'big' rarely come by themselves. Usually a 'bad', larger contract is attached. Any dollar added that does not have a dollar going out is one less dollar coming out of the free agency pot.

I'm not sure Ray Allen would be a good move or realistic move. I don't know if it would be good because he appears to be starting to decline. I worry about a repeat of Hakeem (but if he played another 2 years as the Ray Allen we all know then that is cool). I don't know if it would be realistic because I think a lot of contending teams (Memphis nearly traded for him at the trade deadline. for example) would be willing to drop their $5M MLE on him and a difference of $1-2M probably wouldn't be enough to entice him here.

"big" is about the player, not about the money. And Ray Allen is a big splash for the type of move, or am I wrong? Regardless of strategy we should have enough money to throw at him when FA starts. If we make a trade, we should have our exceptions to spend(unless BC makes shitty trades that don't fully eat our cap space before July 1), and if we don't, we'll have cash stright out...I don't know what you're not seeing....or that I'm not seeing to make it seem confusing

In the bold section, you are specifically speaking of Ray Allen right?

What happens if Ray Ray doesn't want to come here? That is the risk with free agency. The Raptors are not the masters of their own destiny.

Also, what you spoke of in the bold section is exactly my point. You only get to use the cap space on free agency if you renounce the exceptions. If you use the cap space via trade prior to July 1st then you get to use the exceptions. They are 2 separate outcomes - you have to make a choice hence the either, or scenario laid out.

I guess that depends on where we are running to. The Playoffs? Or the Finals? One is a much longer race.

I think Colangelo should more or less stand pat this off season. We'll have as many as 4 new young players to evaluate next year. Also, the player options for DeRozan and J Johnson come due at the end of next year, and Jose Calderon will be off the books. That leaves 3 of our current 5 starters in flux. The year after next should be the splash year.

We do need to fill out this roster with some vets though. So try and find the David West type deals that are out there, and hang on to any cap space that can't be used effectively. My guess is the salary landscape in the NBA will change enough that some teams will be caught off guard as they are still working within the plans they formulated before the lockout. The Raptors need to take advantage of that.

Next year will be exciting no matter what. That should be enough for this fan base.

In the bold section, you are specifically speaking of Ray Allen right?

What happens if Ray Ray doesn't want to come here? That is the risk with free agency. The Raptors are not the masters of their own destiny.

Also, what you spoke of in the bold section is exactly my point. You only get to use the cap space on free agency if you renounce the exceptions. If you use the cap space via trade prior to July 1st then you get to use the exceptions. They are 2 separate outcomes - you have to make a choice hence the either, or scenario laid out.

In this case about Ray, but could be about that type of acquisition in general. Given our needs, he fits in regardless of what other moves we make...and yes, he may not want to come here, but that's always a risk, but not a big risk if you're just counting on using exceptions. I think really the goal would be to have a list of players who fit regardless of choice #1 or #2. I admit it's hard to think of a list like that, but there are some names out there even if they are unlikely, or perhaps not the best fit (Jamison, Hill, Stevenson...).

I guess that depends on where we are running to. The Playoffs? Or the Finals? One is a much longer race.

I think Colangelo should more or less stand pat this off season. We'll have as many as 4 new young players to evaluate next year. Also, the player options for DeRozan and J Johnson come due at the end of next year, and Jose Calderon will be off the books. That leaves 3 of our current 5 starters in flux. The year after next should be the splash year.

The Raptors have $25M in contracts for 2013-14 as of now. Tack on another $6M for JV and 2012 pick and that is $31M. Add whatever players are signed this year - lets even assume that things are pretty tame with just $10M given out in contracts that extend beyond next season. That takes the Raptors to $41M.

$41M leaves the Raptors with about $17M in cap space. But we forgot about DD and JJ. Unless they walk for nothing, add the qualifying offers their qualifying offers which total $8.5M and the Raptors are in the same position as this year - enough cap space to sign a piece. If you renounce DD and JJ (i.e. get nothing for them if they go elsewhere and lose Bird Rights if they stay which means they eat cap space) then you could make a big splash.

Gorlitzer wrote:

We do need to fill out this roster with some vets though. So try and find the David West type deals that are out there, and hang on to any cap space that can't be used effectively. My guess is the salary landscape in the NBA will change enough that some teams will be caught off guard as they are still working within the plans they formulated before the lockout. The Raptors need to take advantage of that.

David West was a great deal for Indiana but they had a lot of other pieces already in place with 3-4 years experience. I think we can all agree that the Raptors have few pieces in place and fewer still with experience who are considered an impact player.

Gorlitzer wrote:

Next year will be exciting no matter what. That should be enough for this fan base.

I find this interesting given how many posters feel the franchise is doomed and should expect more.